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Fel'Don
The Fel'Don The Fel'Don are the descendants of Fel'Don Galor, the great knights of glory from a time and world long forgotten. Specifically, they are what became of that once chivalrous nation of knights after Konrad returned from the campaign against Lilith. He became known by many names after the war, to Norboden he was forever Konrad the Betrayer, to some he was Konrad the Bloody, to his own people he was known as The Red Falcon. His quickly deteriorating mind lead to many changes for the Fel'Don. No longer was honor all, now, honor was blood. Konrad's affect on his people was quick and apparent. The countless knights of the realm lusting for honor and glory were easily blinded by this new concept which took focus away from the traditional chivalric code of old and instead valued martial prowess, strength, war, and above all else, blood. A once great nation of honorable knights forever turned into an over glorified empire of murderers. Despite their thirst for battle and blood, however, the Fel'Don do not slaughter innocent people or the weak. They seek only the blood of those who can fight back and present some modicum of challenge believing that only by shedding the blood of the strong and proving their martial worth can they achieve the most honor. They are more likely to join in the losing side of a battle simply to enjoy the honor gained from overcoming such a challenge rather then simply being guaranteed victory in a one sided battle. The Royal Family Many kings have come and gone since the glorious founder of the Falconcrest dynasty, each striving to surpass the glorious legacy of Renaldo the great, each generation seemingly more bloodthirsty and determined than the last. Heraldry The Sigil of House Falconcrest is several images on a black field. The castle represents the strongholds for which the family rules from and is famous for constructing, a symbol of endurance and strength. The crown is the very one first placed upon the head of Renaldo the Great, the symbol of the king, inherited by every king of the empire since. Many brothers have fought and died over the right to wear the crown. The crimson wings are those of a falcon and the symbol of the royal family itself; specifically it was the personal banner of Konrad who was known as the red falcon. The final image is the helmet of a knight, for all Fel'Don strive to be knights. It is the knight that forms the central structure of the civilization and it is they who go out and seek honor, glory, and blood. These things all sit on a black field representing that these 4 things stand alone in the darkness of the world. The golden rim of the field represents honor and glory which can only be achieved by pushing through this darkness. Renaldo the Great The founder of the the Falconcrest dynasty, Renaldo's achievements are many and great. A man of unwavering chivalry, skill, and honor who achieved in his lifetime more glory than possibly any being in the world. Under his leadership Fel'Don expanded it's borders countless miles, constructed numerous castles, and won several wars and tournaments. Under his leadership the people of Fel'Don became friends with their close allies Norboden by rushing to their aid against the cowardly alliance that threatened them 3 to 1. Even after being betrayed by their other close allies Renaldo stayed in Norboden to ensure that the nation would not fall, leading the defense from the very tip of the calvary formation despite being outnumbered and surrounded on 2 flanks. After the war Renaldo expanded the borders of his nation even more and built several strongholds to secure his vast claims before winning several more tournaments and dying gloriously in battle against the orc hordes to the south in a battle that he did not start, but was needed in, to defend those who could not defend themselves. Robert the Lesser Robert was the eldest son of Renaldo and was for a time his heir to the throne before Konrad beat him in single combat for the right to succeed his father. After his father's death Robert acted as one of Konrad's feudal lords up until his return from the Lilith campaign. Seeing that his brother had clearly strayed from their father's path Robert started a Rebellion in attempt to dethrone his misguided brother. Though more of the empire had gathered to Robert than Konrad the civil war came to a quick conclusion after Konrad once again beat his brother in single combat on the field of battle, ending the rebellion and once again securing the throne for himself. Konrad the Red Also known as the Red Falcon, Konrad was the second king of Fel'Don and is the man responsible for it's current state of affairs. Though he always had a different view of honor and glory it was not till the lilith campaign that his mind was forever warped. Having been manipulated by a phantom of his father that Lilith had conjured, Renaldo turned on the group of heroes during the finale moments of the battle, slaying the champion of Norboden and seriously wounding 2 others before Lilith was defeated and the castle crumbled around him. With the help of his Knights of the Crimson Keep he returned to Fel'don and put down a rebellion started by his brother. After this the empire went through many long and bloody years and Konrad's thirst for blood and war slowly corrupted the empire at its core. Marcus "Shallow Grave" The third son of Konrad, Marcus inherited the throne because his older 2 brothers had both died in mysterious accidents before the age of 10. Marcus grew up and proved to be a very capable warrior and battlefield commander, yet a horrible king. His policies and contempt for the lower classes which he saw as weak started several long years of peasant revolts, many of which he put down personally. It was during these revolts that Marcus was pulled from his horse by a mob and buried alive (A practice he himself was fond of using to execute the lesser classes.) Not long after though Marcus supposedly dug himself out of his own grave before his Royal Guard arrived and put down the mob afterwords he ordered his knights to force feed the peasants the dirt they had buried him in. The rule of Marcus was short and bloody and characterized by many failed revolts, coups, and rebellions. Renaldo II "The Unworthy" Having reigned for only 2 days, Renaldo the Unworthy was slain by his elder brother in single combat for the right of the throne. His brother had always thought him weak and unfit to inherit both the empire and his grandfather's glorious name. Andreas "Kinslayer" After killing his brother for the right to be king, Andreas saw to the death's of many other members of the royal family who he thought unfit for the bloodline. He lead the nation into many unnecessary and foolish wars to prove the might of his bloodline and valiantly lead his armies from the front lines before dying in battle at 31 leaving his only son to inherit the throne. Stephan I Having had one of the most remarkably uneventful rules, Stephan came to the throne at age 10 and left the realm in regency until he was 16. Having gained so much power as such a young age and not having seen the examples of his father, Stephan gave in to the more dishonorable of lifestyles. Spending the majority of his time in the company of wine and woman he rarely went out to battle and did not care much for honor, blood, or glory. He died of alcoholism at 42 having left the management of the empire to other and sired between 20-40 children, most of which were bastards. The succession crisis upon his death lasted 40 years before one of his grandsons finally reunited all the fractured kingdoms that broke away from the once great empire. Politics and Religion Fel'Don is a feudal monarchy that has never really practices religion. The Fel'Don see gods and the afterlife as a distraction from the pursuit of honor and glory in this life. That the afterlife is the legacy you leave behind, so to have the most honorable afterlife, you have to have the most honorable life. Honor is gained by upholding vows, serving the king, taking care of your own, and above all else blood. Blood in battle is honor itself and the blood of the strong is particularly glorious. Feudal lords often challenge each other to duels for rights and privileges and honor. Until the reign of Konrad the Red dueling to the death in this way was forbidden but in the last several decades it has become more common. Still, infighting is heavily frowned upon by the crown and is a normally rare event. To stop what would be a common cause for bloodshed the kingdom holds tournaments several times a year to allow the knights to compete for glory without the need of crippling the nobility. Because of this way of life though the king and nobility are usually very eager to rush to war outside their own realm. Technology and Military The Fel'Don still retain their feudal ways as they believe it the most honorable lifestyle. Mounted knights still forms the core of the army even this new and strange world. They dislike the advanced technology and way of life the other nations of the world use, considering them craven and dishonorable.The Fel'Don especially dislike the use of magic. Magic is seen as despicable, perhaps because of the threat it poses to their way of life. Despite Fel'Don retaining military practices that many other races would see as antiquated, the honorable few seem to take advantage of this strange worlds very existence. In a way, honor is their armor and weapons. Though many knights may have armors of incredible quality forged from newly discovered metals and techniques, it is not what usually saves them. The Fel'Don's belief that their honor protects them seems miraculously true. Their honor allows their horses to ride faster, causes bullets to glance off what they should not, and allows their sword arm to strike truer and stronger than any man's has the right too. Because of this the fighting potential of the Fel'Don is dependent on the honor of the individual and of the kingdom as a whole. Both a blessing and a curse, as an dishonorable ruler as a severe effect on the nation success in everything. Category:Nation Category:Secret War